Petunia plant named ‘Dueswecara’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Dueswecara’, characterized by its compact, mounding and outwardly spreading to trailing plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; large light pink-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUESWECARA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Dueswecara’.

The new Petunia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new Petunia cultivars with numerous uniqueand attractive flowers.

The new Petunia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in July, 2006 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selectionof Petunia×hybrida identified as code number T04-0063-008, not patented,as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection ofPetunia×hybrida identified as code number T05-4553-002, not patented, asthe male, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia plant was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progenyof the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environmentin Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia plant by terminal cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since May, 2008,has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia plant are stableand reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Petunia have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Dueswecara’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Dueswecara’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofPetunia:

-   -   1. Compact, mounding and outwardly spreading to trailing plant        habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Large light pink-colored flowers.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the female parentselection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of thefemale parent selection in flower color as plants of the female parentselection have darker-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the femaleparent selection are more upright than plants of the new Petunia.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parentselection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of themale parent selection in flower color as plants of the male parentselection have yellow-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the newPetunia are more compact than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of thePetunia×hybrida ‘Keiyeyas’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Petunia differedprimarily from plants of ‘Keiyeyas’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were more compact than plants of        ‘Keiyeyas’.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia had longer leaves than plants of        ‘Keiyeyas’.    -   3 Plants of the new Petunia had larger flowers than plants of        ‘Keiyeyas’.    -   4. Plants of the new Petunia and ‘Keiyeyas’ differed in flower        color as plants of ‘Keiyeyas’ had yellow-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Petunia plant, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia plant. The photograph comprises a close-up view oftypical leaves and flowers of ‘Dueswecara’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany, under commercialpractice during the summer in 10.5-cm containers in a glass-coveredgreenhouse with day and night temperatures averaging 18° C. and lightlevels averaging 4,500 lux. Plants were pinched one time three weeksafter planting and were 16 weeks old when the photograph and descriptionwere taken. In the following description, color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida ‘Dueswecara’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida identified as code number T04-0063-008, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida identified as code number T05-4553-002, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at            temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at            temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three            weeks at temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            weeks at temperatures of 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, mounding and outwardly            spreading to trailing growth habit; freely branching habit            with about eight to ten lateral branches developing after            pinching; moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 15 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 26 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 12 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 4 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 2 cm.        -   Strength.—Moderately strong.        -   Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.        -   Color.—Close to 144A to 144B.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Before flowering, alternate, simple; after            flowering, opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 5.5 cm.        -   Width.—About 2.7 cm.        -   Shape.—Spatulate.        -   Apex.—Obtuse.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; leathery.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143A to 143B.            Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A;            venation, close to 144B. Fully expanded leaves, lower            surface: Close to 137C; venation, close to 144B.        -   Petiole length.—About 3.8 cm.        -   Petiole diameter.—About 3.5 mm.        -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.        -   Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.—Close to 144A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Large salverform flowers;            single flowers arising from leaf axils; freely flowering            habit with usually about 25 to 30 open flowers and flower            buds per plant; flowers face mostly upright to outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from            late spring into autumn in Germany; early flowering habit,            plants typically beginning flowering about nine weeks after            planting.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about five to six            days on the plant; flowers persistent.        -   Flower diameter.—About 5.5 cm.        -   Flower length (height).—About 4.5 cm.        -   Flower throat diameter.—About 1.2 cm.        -   Flower tube diameter.—About 2.5 mm.        -   Flower tube length.—About 3 cm.        -   Flower bud.—Shape: Ovoid. Length: About 3 cm. Diameter:            About 5.8 mm. Color: Close to 149A.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and            opening into a flared trumpet. Petal lobe length (from            throat): About 2.2 cm. Petal lobe width: About 2.8 cm. Petal            shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal apex: Rounded. Petal margin:            Entire. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Rippled,            glabrous. Throat texture: Rippled, glabrous. Tube texture:            Rippled, pubescent. Color: Petal lobe, when opening, upper            surface: Close to 69D. Petal lobe, when opening, lower            surface: Close to 149A tinted with close to 69D. Petal lobe,            fully opened, upper surface: Close to 69D; color becoming            closer to 69C with development; venation, close to 66A.            Petal lobe, fully opened, lower surface: Close to 69D;            venation, close to 66C and 144A. Flower throat: Close to 9A;            venation, close to 175A. Flower tube: Close to 9B; venation,            close to 187B.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five            sepals fused at the base per flower. Sepal length: About            1.4 cm. Sepal width: About 6 mm. Sepal shape: Oblong. Sepal            apex: Rounded. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, immature and mature,            upper surface: Close to 137A. Color, immature and mature,            lower surface: Close to 137A to 137B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.6 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth. Color: Close            to 143A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five per flower.            Filament length: About 1.2 cm. Filament color: Close to            145C. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther length: About 1.5 mm.            Anther color: Close to 6A to 6B. Pollen amount: Abundant.            Pollen color: Close to 154C to 154D. Pistils: Quantity: One            per flower. Pistil length: About 2.5 cm. Style length: About            2.1 cm. Style color: Close to 144B to 144C. Stigma shape:            Rounded. Stigma color: Close to 144A. Ovary color: Close to            144A. Seed/fruit: Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Petunia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to    have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and    temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 40° C.-   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia.

1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘Dueswecara’ as illustratedand described.